The Best Open-world Games for Nintendo Switch

Update : Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley added at rank #49.
1

Hogwarts Legacy (2023)

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85
Review score
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PC Windows Android Nintendo Switch Xbox One Playstation 4 Xbox Series X Playstation 5

Hogwarts Legacy is a magical fantasy game that puts you in the shoes of a wizarding student at Hogwarts, the world-famous school for witchcraft and wizardry. Explore countless nooks and crannies to uncover secrets, hone your magical skills in classes like Charms and Herbology, meet other students and go on quests to flesh out the world, and discover every secret that Hogwarts has hidden away.

Buy

What we like:
  • Captures the magic of Harry Potter lore
  • Engaging story blended with nods to original series plus unique flourishes
  • Plenty of hours of gameplay
  • Explore Hogwarts castle and grounds with many secrets to uncover
  • Interact with other students through quests
What could be improved:
  • Minor loading times when opening doors
  • Occasional weird lighting changes when going from dark area to bright area

  • open-world
  • book
  • rpg
  • combat
  • fantasy
  • puzzle
  • exploration

2

The Pathless (2020)

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86
Review score
Logo of The Pathless Screenshot of The Pathless Screenshot of The Pathless Screenshot of The Pathless

Playstation 4 Xbox Series X/s Xbox Series X Xbox One Nintendo Switch IOS iPhone PC Windows Mac OS Playstation 5

Embark on an epic adventure on a mystical island to dispel the curse of darkness in The Pathless. With your eagle companion, explore breathtaking landscapes and engage in unique boss battles against giant corrupted spirits. The emotionally resonant story, fast-paced gameplay, and stunning visuals and music make for an immersive experience that you won't forget.


What we like:
  • Well-written characters and story
  • Satisfying movement mechanics and puzzles
  • Stunning visuals and music
  • Unique boss fights
  • Relaxing gameplay
What could be improved:
  • Repetitive gameplay
  • Lack of tutorial and map system
  • Potential overpricing
  • Inconsistent performance
  • Tedious exploration

  • open-world
  • boss-fight
  • puzzle
  • exploration
  • boss
  • stealth
  • archery
  • shooter
  • adventure
  • battle
  • action-adventure
  • rhythm
  • stylized
  • story
  • narrative

3

Alba: a Wildlife Adventure (2020)

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90
Review score
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IOS iPhone Nintendo Switch PC Windows Xbox One

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure takes you to a beautiful Mediterranean island to save endangered animals and clean up litter. With over 60 species to document, using your phone app, you'll go on an adventure to make a difference in the world around us. Enjoy a relaxing and feel-good experience with a great soundtrack and stunning visuals. Join Alba and her friend Ines and help them on their mission to save the island and the world!

Buy

What we like:
  • Cute and wholesome with calming music and nice art
  • Addictive gameplay focused on exploring and photographing wildlife
  • Strong sub-theme of photography
  • Fun story with a good message
  • Bug-free and runs smoothly
What could be improved:
  • Limited achievements
  • Traversal can be boring towards the end of the game
  • Game could have been longer with more content

  • exploration
  • open-world
  • adventure
  • relaxing
  • cartoony
  • nature
  • collector
  • creature
  • cute
  • colourful
  • family-friendly
  • construction
  • economy
  • 3d
  • table

4

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (2022)

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82
Review score
Logo of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Screenshot of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Screenshot of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Screenshot of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Xbox One Playstation 5 Xbox Series X Playstation 4 PC Windows Nintendo Switch Android

Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga is the very best Lego game to date, and one of the best Star Wars games ever made. With 45 levels and 140 side missions, you can explore more than 20 planets while engaging in lightsaber combat, third-person shooting, and melee combat. Enjoy a combination of classic slapstick humour, brilliant sight gags and great voice acting as you collect 731 puzzles, 135 level challenges, and 380 characters.

Buy

What we like:
  • Revamped formula with new camera angle
  • Lightsaber combat better than ever
  • Third-person shooting feels great
  • Huge amount of things to do
  • Hilarious writing
  • Open areas full of secrets to explore
What could be improved:
  • Melee combat could be better
  • Lack of levels dedicated to spin-off films such as Rogue One or Solo
  • The Mandalorian only represented by a playable character

  • cooperative
  • open-world
  • cover
  • puzzle
  • combo
  • combat
  • boss-fight
  • battle
  • tps
  • split-screen
  • exploration
  • sandbox
  • third-person
  • platform
  • shooter

5

Nova Lands (2023)

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83
Review score
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Playstation 4 Xbox One PC Windows Nintendo Switch

Dive into Nova Lands, where your creativity fuels an open-world adventure of base-building and automation! Master resource management, befriend or battle exotic creatures, and design a thriving industry with adorable helper bots. Unleash your inner strategist and transform untamed wilds into a flourishing empire. Embark on your journey in Nova Lands today!

Buy

What we like:
  • Engaging base-building and automation
  • Diverse biomes with unique challenges
  • Customizable helper bot AI adds depth
  • Satisfying progression and skill tree
  • Charming pixel art and soundtrack
What could be improved:
  • Late-game content a bit slow

  • management
  • crafting
  • open-world
  • resource-management
  • automation
  • resource
  • pixel
  • survival
  • base-building
  • farming
  • simulation
  • 2d
  • boss-fight
  • boss
  • building

6

Pokemon Violet (2022)

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72
Review score
Logo of Pokemon Violet

Nintendo Switch

Catch, battle, and train Pokémon in the Paldea region, a vast land filled with lakes, towering peaks, wastelands, small towns, and sprawling cities. Explore a wide-open world at your own pace and traverse land, water, and air by riding on the form-shifting Legendary Pokémon Miraidon. Along Victory Road, you will challenge Gyms in different locations and aim to achieve Champion Rank.

Buy

  • open-world
  • battle
  • auto-battle
  • exploration

7

Sludge Life 2 (2023)

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74
Review score
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PC Windows Nintendo Switch

SLUDGE LIFE 2 is the grimiest first-person vandalism sim since the first SLUDGE LIFE—but, like, twice as dense. Explore a huger, weirder, gnarlier open world loaded with secrets, weirdos, jokes, and, of course, plenty of spots to tag.

Buy

  • first-person
  • open-world
  • exploration
  • platform
  • parkour
  • sludge
  • psychedelic
  • walking-simulator
  • funny
  • pause
  • sandbox
  • hip-hop
  • story
  • surreal
  • dungeon-crawler

8

Sonic Frontiers (2022)

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79
Review score
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Nintendo Switch PC Windows Playstation 4 Xbox One Playstation 5 Xbox Series X

Sonic Frontiers is a 3D platformer that changes the classic Sonic formula with large-scale, open-ended islands for Sonic to explore. Players are tasked with collecting collectibles, solving puzzles and playing minigames to move the story forward. The game also includes a dedicated skill tree full of new moves, bombastic boss sequences and an exceptional soundtrack.

Buy

What we like:
  • Open world exploration
  • Fun traversal mechanics
  • Solid combat
  • Intuitive level design
  • Great soundtrack
  • Darker narrative ambitions than traditional Sonic games
What could be improved:
  • Rough textures
  • Popping in visuals
  • No colorblind modes or remappable controls

  • platform
  • open-world
  • boss
  • boss-fight
  • classic
  • exploration
  • open-zone

9

TerraTech (2018)

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90
Review score
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PC Windows Nintendo Switch Playstation 4 Xbox One Mac OS Linux

TerraTech is the perfect game for creative kids who love to build their own vehicles and explore a randomly generated world. Construct powerful machines, bases, and weapons to defend against rival miners, gather resources, and improve your standing with the Mining Corporations. Explore treacherous mountain ranges, luscious grasslands, and huge deserts while building and creating your own unique style. The gameplay is fun and intuitive, and the simplistic graphics don't require high-end hardware.

Buy

What we like:
  • Fun and intuitive gameplay
  • Creative freedom with lots of room for your own style
  • Enticing game with interesting mechanics
  • Simplistic graphics don't require high-end hardware
  • Provides a unique and addictive experience
What could be improved:
  • Feels empty with repetitive fetch quests
  • Lack of big updates
  • Multiplayer needs a lot of work

  • sandbox
  • building
  • crafting
  • open-world
  • construction
  • vehicle
  • survival
  • robots
  • physics
  • early-access
  • exploration
  • funny-looking
  • online
  • vehicles

10

WATCH (2023)

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73
Review score
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Xbox One Nintendo Switch PC Windows

Welcome to San Francisco. Play as Marcus, a brilliant young hacker, and join the most notorious hacker group, DedSec. Your objective: execute the biggest hack of history.


  • open-world
  • stealth
  • construction
  • dystopian
  • driving
  • military
  • political
  • skill
  • narrative

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